How do you get that protein intake?

geebusuk

1g per lb of LEAN body weight is generally recommended for people on a calorie deficit to aid in muscle maintenance.
Unless you're at 20% bodyfat, it's probably better to work it this way, but does make it harder to work out (I don't know what my BF% is.)

For building muscle you may actually need less as you'll be in a calorie surplus and the body will have plenty of calories floating about, so won't be so likely to go towards catabolism.

SunofaBeach14

If you didn't eat protein bars or drink protein shakes, how would you reach your protein intake goal for the day? I've tried using the rule of 0.8 grams per pound, but find it impossible to get that much protein in each day. I eat protein with every meal and snack. It seems the only way to reach that high of a target would be to drink a protein shake or eat a protein bar, but is that realistic long term? Is this what healthy eating has come to? How did our ancestors survive -- lol?

Maybe you don't need 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight. That level of protein is recommended for body builders who are trying to bulk up with extra muscle for show. ("Show" meaning it's for aesthetic reasons, not necessarily for functional strength.) Most people already eat more protein than they need and only require around 50 grams daily. If you're lifting and purposely trying to add bulk and/ or sculpt, then you need the added protein.

I made my own protein bars for the first time today. They came out pretty good.

It's for strength training and muscle retention and no, it's not just for pro bodybuilders. Protein intake is particularly important when eating at a calorie deficit to maintain existing muscle mass.

catsandtats

Only a small fraction of my protein comes from my shake. My #1 favorite protein-rich food is Greek yogurt because it can be both sweet (with berries) or savory (used as a topping where sour cream would be used, for example). My #2 favorite is egg-whites.

I know this is possibly controversial to some, but I find it much more difficult to get my protein intake where it needs to be without additional supplementation *if* I completely avoid animal products. I used to be a strict vegan, so my natural tendency is to want to eat plant based foods. However, I also personally prefer to eat as many nutritionally dense foods as possible that are minimally processed (I realize yogurt may not fall into this category depending on who you ask, but it is nonetheless my favorite!) and I consider protein supplements a very processed food. So, for a large number of reasons, I choose to use shakes and stuff as a *supplement* and nothing more. I try to round everything out as best I can with non-fat dairy, egg whites (and the occasional whole egg), fish, and the lean cut of meat here and there.

FoxyLifter

Pork
Beef Liver (yum!!)
Yogurt
Ricotta cheese
cottage cheese
Eggs
Chicken
Hemp seed protein powder (in my fruit smoothie)
Salmon

My diary is open. Feel free to take a peek. I have gotten off plan a couple days this week, but nobody's perfect. :drinker:

2tired2think

Well, I'm certainly not a body builder. I am trying to maintain what muscle I have as I lose weight. I'm also hoping that by focusing more on proteins and healthy fats, reducing my carb ratio, it will help my weight loss along. I've always suspected I had a carb-heavy diet, so I'm just trying something new to see if it works for me. I'm not ready to go to the extremes of an Atkin's type ratio, and I try not to over-complicate things for myself with a lot of calculations or rules. I do like to focus more on eating "real" foods, limiting processed foods and sticking to lean proteins, veggies and fruit, and whole grains. Of course, by limiting my carbs, I will need to greatly reduce the amount of fruit or whole grains for now.

I eat a lot of chicken and turkey. I am leery of eating too much cheese. I eat Greek yogurt. I'm incorporating more nuts and seeds, but they don't seem like much bang for the buck, protein-wise.

I appreciate the comments! It seems it can be done without protein bars/protein shakes, but it will be a drastic change to my eating patterns. I've never been a big meat-eater -- I'm not opposed to it, I've just never at such large portions of it before.

Dom_m

I wouldn't worry. The Australian Institute of Sport recommends less than half the amount of protein you're talking about. They don't even recommend that much for elite athletes competing in "power sports" (well, their recommendation is 0.75g/pound for those people, but less than 0.4 for most people)
http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/nutrition/factsheets/basics/protein_-_how_much

It's close to impossible these days to have a sustained protein deficiency without starving yourself.

2tired2think

Also, your weight loss goal is 18 pounds, so I am assuming you aren't very obese. But if you are, you can aim for less than .8g/lb of mass. You could reduce your intake as well, especially if you are not weight training, by multiplying your LEAN body mass by .8. That would be the very lower limit.

I need to figure my LBM. This has been suggested by two of the responders here. Hmmmm ...

Oh yeah, and I need to update my goal. Lol ... that was my initial goal from WW. I'd be ok with that, but another 5 pounds or so would make me feel so much better!

zivasak

I found this link very helpful: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-much-protein-should-you-be-eating/#axzz2wBIRZZqq


I tend to eat around 70g of protein and I cut carbs too. I was told to hit 120g only if I train hard as I was surprised how a lot of people eat a very high protein diet.

neanderthin

I wouldn't worry. The Australian Institute of Sport recommends less than half the amount of protein you're talking about. They don't even recommend that much for elite athletes competing in "power sports" (well, their recommendation is 0.75g/pound for those people, but less than 0.4 for most people)
http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/nutrition/factsheets/basics/protein_-_how_much

It's close to impossible these days to have a sustained protein deficiency without starving yourself.

Let me guess.............your vegan, right?

AlwaysInMotion

I eat mostly chicken/turkey, fish, eggs, & shrimp for my primary protein sources. I also love low-fat cheeses and Greek yogurt. I have difficulty hitting my daily protein goals, so I have a protein shake at breakfast (unsweetened almond milk and a cookies & cream flavored protein powder shaken in a blender bottle). It's actually really tasty and fast.

AmyRhubarb

My daily goal is 150g, but I try to get at least 100g a day. Eggs, Greek yogurt, peanut butter, nuts, beans, chicken chicken chicken, lean beef & pork, fish.....if I make a smoothie I usually add a scoop of protein powder, but it's not a daily thing.

crystalfisher89

Meat, fish, eggs, nuts, and I use unflavored protein powder and add it into various things. Lately I've been mixing it with chocolate milk as a post workout out protein shake. You can't tell it's even in a cup of chocolate milk. I use the Isopure Unflavored Whey and I like it. Don't smell it, but mix it with something with a heavy flavor and you'll never know it's in there. I have also mixed it with orange juice before and some of my fruit smoothies I've created and make my own protein granola bars

According to my diary today I have taken in 154 grams of protein- usually my intake is 100 grams, but some times I under or over do it. As long as you are eating a deficit, a high protein intake won't make you "bulk".

arabianhorselover

I tried using plain greek yogurt for protein, but I decided I just really don't like it, so why force myself to eat it?

3laine75

All of the meat

I actually have a shake at night - I don't find it unsustainable, with how many portions are in the tub it last for ages.